


Face the Music

by onetruethree



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir-centric, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Established Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, MLSS 2020, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:02:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28312776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetruethree/pseuds/onetruethree
Summary: Adrien develops feelings for Marinette and her boyfriend, Luka, and as he watches Luka's music career take off, he can feel they love him too. Still, he feels trapped by his father's rules, and he doesn't know if he can ever live the life he wants.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Face the Music

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clockworkgalaxies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clockworkgalaxies/gifts).



> For the [ML Secret Santa Exchange 2020](https://mlsecretsanta.tumblr.com/)!  
> This was such a fun exchange to write for, I hope you enjoy your gift!

Adrien didn't mind the feeling of being alone. There was nothing to complicate his life when he was by himself, and he much preferred listening to the voice in his head over the lectures from his dad. Still, his friends were adamant about including him, and spending time with them was what made the loneliness bearable. 

So, when Marinette invited him to one of Luka's first gigs at a local café, he looked forward to a reason to get out of the house for a couple of hours. Adrien had heard Luka play before, but this time was much more serious-- he would be playing in front of a fairly large audience, even if they were there to drink coffee. They met beforehand, and although Luka seemed nervous (which was something Adrien rarely saw), Marinette calmed his nerves with a kiss. 

Luka noticed Adrien looked nervous as well. “You okay, Adrien?” He asked. “You’re not the one playing, you know.”

It was a joke, and it was a solid attempt at lightening the mood, but it just made Adrien imagine himself on stage with Luka. “I’m okay.” He smiled, and his friends’ smiles back did help a bit. Luka left to get ready after that, and the other two went the other way to sit among the patrons. 

“Thanks for inviting me, Marinette.”

She glanced behind her, looking to where Luka had just left to. “Actually, it was Luka’s idea. He said it would help if he had two people he knew cheering him on.” 

Adrien was flattered, but he couldn’t help but ask himself ‘why me?’

He sat with Marinette at the front, and Luka couldn't keep his eyes off of her, even as he focused on his playing and singing. Adrien was too busy looking at the floor to see Luka’s stare drift, but he looked up when he felt eyes on him. Luka was seemingly staring right at Adrien, and he didn't look any less in love than when he was looking at his girlfriend. Adrien quickly let his eyes wander anywhere else, but his heartbeat picked up just in time for the music to do the same. 

When Luka had a chance, he blew a kiss in their direction. It wasn’t clear if it was directed towards Adrien or Marinette, or both, but Marinette pretended to catch the imaginary kiss, and looked to Adrien as if expecting him to do the same. She laughed it off when he didn't, but shortly after, Adrien feigned illness and left halfway through the set, too confused to stay after and talk things through.

* * *

Luckily, Luka wasn't in their class, so he didn't see him the next day. Still, he saw Marinette every day, and she was a reminder that his confusion wasn’t going away. One day, when they were the only two left at study hall, he asked her a question. They were rarely alone these days, so it was his only opportunity. "What do you see in Luka?" He meant it genuinely, but it came off rather passive aggressive, like he was jealous. Really, he was simply comparing notes, but he wasn't good at articulating something so new to him.

Marinette’s initial reaction was to defend Luka, but she could tell Adrien was being well-meaning with the question. So, then she thought seriously about it. "He puts everyone before himself." She knew that was also a weakness of his, but it was truly what she loved about him. "And I love being able to tell what he's feeling when he sings. He's sort of an open book that way." She turned a page in her textbook, although she wasn't paying attention to her homework anymore. "Why? What do you see in him?" She teased, turning the question around on him.

Adrien misunderstood. "Well, like you said, I love his art." Adrien absentmindedly wrote down the next problem from his textbook. "And he treats me just like anybody else." Maybe to someone else, that would be a low standard. But for Adrien, even when it came to Marinette, people tended to treat him like he was perfect. He knew that much wasn't true.

Marinette was staring at him when he looked up, and he realized she had been joking.

"I mean, I think he's good for you, that's all." Adrien was awfully bad at lying, and that wasn’t even a complete lie.

Marinette shook her head, breaking her stare. "No, it's fine, I was just a bit surprised--"

"I'm done with homework, I think I'm going to go home," Adrien said, bailing on her again. He couldn't deal with the pressure, even though his heart hurt from treating her like that. "I'll be back tomorrow." He left her alone to sit with her thoughts, and the one at the front of her mind was the possibility that Adrien Agreste, who she had a crush on since middle school, had feelings for her boyfriend.

* * *

He did come back to study hall the next day, but so did three other students. They didn't get time alone together for another week, when Marinette pulled him aside after class, blocking the door on his way out. "Can I talk to you?" She whispered, knowing there could very well be someone listening in while they were in the hallway. "Alone. Can you come over to my house after school? Maybe tell your dad that we have a project, or a test to study for?" In fact, they did have a few things that it wouldn't hurt to study for. She was far too distracted to think about school now, though.

He looked between her and the door. "I have to get to fencing practice."

She frowned. "Afterwards, then? I can wait. I like watching you fence, anyway."

He tried to think of a single reason to turn her down, but the only thing he had was his nerves. "Okay. But you only have a few minutes, my dad gets angry when I take too long getting home."

She nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Marinette's heart fluttered when she watched him fence. It was always exciting to her, even when it was just low-stakes practice. She thought back to when she was younger, before she met Luka, when she would watch Adrien as many times a week as she could, hoping he would notice her enough to think of her as something other than a friend. She remembered how she used to feel worry every time he stuttered in his steps, and pride whenever he got a point. She remembered, because she was feeling the same now. Maybe she wasn't completely over him. She was so mesmerized watching him that when he looked over, she smiled wide, in a way he hadn’t seen for years. In that same instance, Adrien was thrown off balance, and the fencer opposite him knocked him down.

"I'm sorry," they said, but Marinette didn't know them. The only other fencer Marinette knew was Kagami, and that didn't seem like something Kagami would do. The fencer helped Adrien up.

"It's okay," he said, knowing it wasn't entirely their fault. "But I think I'll sit out for the rest of practice, is that okay?" They nodded, and Adrien went to sit by Marinette, not without first taking off his gear.

Marinette stared when he got close enough. "Adrien, you look more hurt than you're letting on."

He frowned, confused. "I don't feel hurt." He traced her line of sight to a spot on his forehead, and brought his hand back only to find blood. "Oh." He scrambled to get something to clean up the blood.

She walked with him. "Adrien, I'll help you clean you up. I have a first aid kit in my car."

He followed her out, but he kept a close watch on the clock. If his dad came to pick him up and found that he wasn't at practice, but instead in Marinette's car, it wouldn't end well.

Marinette got out her first aid kid, and took out the bandages, ointment, and cleaning supplies she needed. "Sorry, this might sting," she warned before pressing an alcohol pad to the wound. He winced, but the pain soon subsided. "You know, if you're worried about your dad, you could text him to say you got a ride home early because of your fall." When he didn't seem too keen on that idea, she added, "Even if he got mad about it, that alone wouldn't be bad enough for him to disown you, right?"

Adrien winced again as she put on antibiotic ointment. "You'd be surprised."

She paused her work on his wound to look him in the eye. "Maybe I could talk to him. Tell him we have to study?"

He bit his lip, just the discussion of disobeying making him nervous. "I'll try texting. If I word it right, he might not get too mad. Maybe just a few more hours of piano practice to appease him," he joked, but he really had tried that before. He typed out a message, but his finger hovered over the button.

"You ready for the band-aid?" She asked, slowly peeling the adhesive off the bandage.

He quickly pressed the 'send' button, and then looked back up so she could apply the bandage. Then, Marinette asked him, "Do you have feelings for Luka?" and Adrien was so shocked that he almost ignored it, thinking he was imagining it.

Once the band-aid was on and he could talk without messing with her first aid, he said, "Do I have to answer?"

"Is that a yes?" She leaned over to him, looking over the rest of his face to check for any more bruises or cuts. "I'm not mad if it is. Actually, the opposite. Love is a good thing."

Adrien thought that was a very charitable characterization of the situation. "Yeah, you're right. But it's... confusing. I don't know if it's love, but when I heard him play, it reminded me of two years ago when I was in love with--" as he remembered who he was talking to, he quickly amended his statement, "It reminded me of my feelings for someone else."

"Well, your love for two different people could feel... well, different." She rubbed a spot above his cheek that looked like it had gotten hurt by the floor as well. "Does it hurt here, too?"

He shook his head. "I'm not still bleeding, am I?"

"No." She turned to his hands, which had gotten a bit skinned from Adrien catching himself on the mat. She thought it would be best to clean that as well, but bandages wouldn’t work in this situation. "And if you have any sort of feelings for someone, even if it's not romantic love, you should tell them." She looked up at him again. "You really should." From her perspective, there was no way this could go wrong. Luka was a kind person, and he'd never judge Adrien, even if he didn't reciprocate. And reciprocation wasn't exactly a long shot, either-- Marinette did notice how Luka looked at Adrien during that concert, too.

Adrien swallowed a lump in his throat. "You sure?" Then, when he saw her head rock back and forth in a nod, even though her attention was on his hands, he added, "Could you be there when I do?"

She used another alcohol pad on his right palm first, hoping it wouldn't sting as much this time. "Of course, Adrien. And if you're comfortable with it, I can set up a time for you to meet." She moved on to the other hand.

"How about now?"

She looked up in surprise, searching his face to see if he was serious. "What did your dad say?"

Adrien hadn't checked his phone. He picked it up with the hand Marinette wasn't working on and read a new text. _Adrien, we had piano practice planned for this evening. I will pick you up from practice like usual, or there will be consequences._ "He said it was fine."

Marinette drove them to Luka's. She was fairly sure he would be there-- he didn't have anything in particular planned that day. Still, her heart skipped a beat when it took him a moment to answer the door. "Marinette, did you lose your key--" he started, then noticed Adrien by her side. "Oh. Come in." He looked like he wanted to ask a few questions, but he opened the door wider so they could enter. Once they were both in, he asked, "What brings you here?" He kept glancing at the bandage on his forehead.

Adrien panicked. Why had he suggested doing this today, without any preparation, or some sort of script, and why had he gone against his father's wishes--

"Adrien?"

Luka's voice made him melt. He looked to Marinette before answering, "I wanted to hear you play." Marinette's face seemed to convey a mix of disappointment and pity.

Luka seemed to know that there was something more important than that going on, but he agreed. "Alright. Follow me, then." They went into his bedroom, where his guitar was sitting in its stand, and as soon as Luka picked it up, he played with the strings. His fingers naturally knew their way around the instrument. Adrien gulped as Luka invited them both to sit with him on the bed. "Want to hear anything in particular?"

Adrien shook his head. "I just want to hear something."

Luka went along with it, improvising as best he could. Adrien loved feeling the vibrations up close, and when Luka started humming along, it was even more beautiful of a sound. Marinette picked her feet off the ground and put them onto the bed, leaning against Luka's right side. Adrien did the same, mirroring her movements on Luka's left. Luka's hums turned to words after a couple minutes, lyrics from either songs he knew by heart or words he wrote himself. But soon, it became obvious he was using his singing to talk to them. "Adrien seems far too nervous for this to be a normal visit." He looked over to Adrien, and sure enough, Adrien was sweating. "You okay, man?"

Adrien sat up, suddenly aware of every inch of his skin that was in contact with Luka. "You’re right,I did come here for something else. It's just taking a bit to work up the courage to say it."

Now in his speaking voice, even as he kept idly strumming the guitar, he said, "You're in love." It was a guess from Adrien's face alone. "In love with Marinette?"

Adrien shook his head. "No, it's not that, you don't have to worry," he said, but as the words came out of his mouth, they felt like lies. "Well, I care for Marinette, of course, but that's not what I'm here for." He hoped that cleared things up enough, but even he wasn't confident about the details of his feelings. "Luka, I really like you."

Luka's eye's widened; he hadn't been expecting that. His fingers froze on the guitar strings, and he stopped playing. "Oh, well, I--" He whipped his head around to look at Marinette, and they had a silent conversation. "You know I'm dating Marinette, right?" Then, his face revealed that he immediately regretted saying that. "I mean, of course you do. And you can't control your feelings like that, anyway," he practically said to himself, trying to talk himself into what he truly wanted to say. "I guess I'm just trying to ask: 'what are you trying to accomplish by telling me?'" He winced at that a bit too; it still came out a bit more aggressive than he wanted it to.

"No, I get what you mean." Adrien tried to make him feel a bit better about his words. He looked to Marinette, still, because she was the one who suggested he do this in the first place.

She got the hint and spoke up. "I... kinda told him to." She smiled innocently at both of them, trying to think of how to explain her thoughts to them. "I just think that he shouldn't have to hide what he's feeling. It doesn't matter what he's trying to accomplish, it's just best. For transparencies' sake." 

Luka nodded. "Then, for transparencies' sake, what if I do reciprocate? What do you think of that?"

Marinette looked from Luka to Adrien and back, not realizing who the question was directed at. "Me?" She wasn't aware they wanted her input in this subject, but she supposed that made sense. "I'm fine with it," she started, then tried to get more information out of him. "Are you saying you do reciprocate?" She wondered how this became a conversation between the two of them when Adrien was the one confessing.

Luka hummed in thought, and set down his guitar, not without his fingers strumming the strings once again. "It's hard to say," he stood up and looked at both of them.

Then, there was that look again, that they both recognized from that concert all those days ago. What did it mean? They both wondered.

Luka took a step closer to Marinette, and took her hand. "Marinette, I love you. And you've known this for years." Marinette nodded at him, curious as to where this was going. "But," he said, and Marinette's heart skipped a beat, "This changes everything. If you say you're really okay with it, then..."

He took a step to the right, so he was now in front of Adrien. "I wasn't really sure about my feelings for you, but now that you've spoken up about this, I think I have a way to test it. If you're okay with it, too, Adrien." He leaned forward, their faces getting closer and closer.

Adrien blinked. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean."

"I want to kiss you," Luka clarified, and Adrien felt as if his heart was on fire. He had never kissed anyone, and now the opportunity was practically falling into his lap. Still, it was hard to say yes with how shaky he was getting.

"Okay," he managed to get out, his pitch getting higher from nerves.

So Luka did kiss him, putting his hand gently on Adrien's cheek before pressing their lips together. Adrien was too nervous to really enjoy it, though, since along with this being his first kiss, Luka was using this to test his feelings. His eyes were still closed when Luka stood up. He didn't want to know Luka's reaction. When he finally did open his eyes, though, Luka was smiling wide. He turned to his girlfriend. "Marinette," he said, which worried Adrien. "Are you really okay with this? Because that was definitely something." He flopped face-up on the bed, hiding his face with his arms.

Marinette leaned over him so she could watch his face as she talked to him. "I'm more than okay with it. I love you, and I love how full of love you are." She was smiling just as widely, and she sat back up to look at Adrien. They stared at each other for a second, now realizing what this changed about their own relationship.

It hadn't really sunk in for Adrien. He didn't really believe this was really happening. Luka had just kissed him, and they were both fine with it. If he had sat there and stayed with them for a few minutes more, he might've had enough time to be fine with this. But his phone buzzed, and his blood went cold, and he stood up abruptly. "I have to go home. I'm sorry." He bolted, walking briskly out of the room. Adrien stopped in the hall, using all his might to try and will himself back inside the room. His phone buzzed again, and he tried to figure out what his father was saying without having to look. He kept walking. He would have to walk home, but he was fine with that. 

Adrien finally checked his phone. _Five messages from Father._ Adrien almost cried. He knew Gabriel was already angry enough for getting a ride from Marinette. If his father ever knew what happened next, he might be disowned. He ignored the texts he got from Marinette and Luka, and wished he could be home already. When he listened to his dad and followed the rules like he usually did, he didn't feel like his heart was in his throat. He convinced himself that was the better option.

Gabriel did yell at him for being late, and for disobeying. Adrien was grounded for a week, and he took this as an opportunity to avoid Marinette. He knew she kept stopping by to bring his work, and Nathalie would bring it into his room every day, but Adrien used every ounce of his willpower to not watch Marinette walk to and from his house. After day three, his father’s anger was only getting worse every day he stayed home sick, so Adrien went to school. 

* * *

The next time he talked to Marinette was a few days later. She approached him after class, and cornered him so he couldn't run. "Adrien, can we please talk?" He followed her into an empty classroom. "Look, we are so sorry about the other day. Everything happened so fast, and I completely forgot about your dad, I shouldn't have convinced you to--"

"It's okay, Marinette. I just need some time alone, I think. And I have to get to class."

She nodded, trying her best to keep her cool. "Okay. Okay. Just, you know you can talk to me, right? And, if you want to forget what happened, we can do that. We can go back to how things were before. I liked how things were before."

He could tell she had tears in her eyes, even though he did, too. "Yeah. I'll think about it." He left her alone in the classroom, and he didn't see her again all day.

* * *

They did go back to being just friends after that, and things went back to the way they were, or as close as they could be. Adrien still remembered it, and longed for it, and wished he could go back to that day and stay. Almost a year later, the next of Luka's concerts he went to was a much bigger venue. In fact, there would be thousands of people there, and he was opening for a pretty well known band. And he asked Adrien to be there with him.

At first, Adrien wasn't planning on going. It would be a lot of familiar feelings being brought up that he wouldn't want to think about. Sure, he was used to hanging out with them again, but mainly with other friends around, so this would be closer to reliving that day than Adrien thought he could handle. Still, he had the day off, and he didn't want to be rude by turning the offer down. And maybe a part of him did want to go and see what would happen.

The night of the concert, he met with Marinette beforehand and she drove him to the venue. They barely talked, and when they did it was about other people. They both knew very well what the other was thinking. Adrien wished he could make himself speak up.

He remembered watching Luka practice before gigs before, but this time was different. He didn't think he had ever seen Luka this nervous before, but as he played a couple notes, his fingers shook. Adrien was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to play.

"Luka, are you okay?" Marinette asked, holding his fingers still between her own. "Do you need something? Aspirin, a drink of water, anything?" Usually, Marinette wouldn’t wait on him like this, but it calmed her nerves to feel somewhat in charge of the situation.

He shook his head. "I could use a kiss."

Adrien's face heated up until he realized Luka was talking about Marinette. Marinette kissed him, shortly and sweetly, and Adrien got the feeling that he couldn't imagine them ever breaking up. He also felt completely invisible, and wanted to keep it that way. Or maybe...

He thought back to that day in Luka's room, and imagined what would have happened if he had stayed. It wasn't the first time he thought about it, but it usually made him too upset to follow through completely. He usually used those thoughts as a way to further his regret, like he deserved it. But now, as he watched the couple love each other, he realized this was exactly where he would have ended up. He would have traveled with them, gone to concerts with them, and listened to Luka play. The only difference would be how he acted. If he had stayed, and they were still together, maybe he would be the one to calm Luka down with a kiss. So, he walked over, pretending that he lived in this imaginary timeline where he didn't make the biggest mistake of his life, and put his hands on Luka’s shoulders, ready to kiss him square on the lips.

This was short-lived, though, because the contact made Adrien realize he was not just imagining this, and was in fact, doing it. He immediately took a few steps back, and everything told him to run. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Luka stared at him. "Didn't mean to?" He tilted his head, confused. "So you're saying it was an accident?" Adrien saw that Luka's hands were no longer shaking.

Adrien had no good answer for him. "I thought I was somewhere else." He backed away, his body retreating without him.

"Maybe you can stay somewhere else for a little longer?" Marinette asked, approaching him. "And once Luka gets on stage, we can forget it ever happened."

Adrien knew she meant that. So, he asked her something in return. "Can I kiss you, then, Marinette?"

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that." She kissed him, and could feel his smile against her lips. "I still love you, Adrien. Always have," she whispered to him, resting her forehead against his. She hoped she would never have to miss this closeness.

Luka seemed a bit jealous, and got a bit closer to them, putting a hand on both of their arms. "I have to go on soon. Wish me luck?" They did wish him luck, both of them fairly sure they knew what he meant. They each kissed him on the cheek, and Adrien took this opportunity to quickly relive that moment a year ago, and kissed him again, melting into the kiss. Even though it lasted only a moment, Adrien tried to make it last a lifetime. A part of him knew this wasn't forever.

"Good luck, Luka," Adrien finally said, knowing they had limited time.

"Not that you need it," Marinette added, teasing, and they both watched him walk on stage. Adrien felt lucky just to be backstage watching him. "You ready, Adrien? I always think it's a lot better from the sidelines." She put her arm around him, and they leaned against each other, similar feelings of love in both of their hearts.

"I'm more than ready."

They watched him perform, and Marinette was right-- it was very fun to watch him from this perspective. Adrien had only ever been in the audience, and now he was one step closer to the stage. He wasn't sure if he would ever feel ready to take that next step, but judging by how much fun Luka seemed to be having, maybe he would have to try it out.

In between songs, Luka started to talk to the audience, introduce his band members and himself, and banter a bit. Marinette enjoyed this part usually, but she had to say a few things to Adrien first. She valued honesty above most things, and if she kept this a secret any longer, it was starting to feel like a lie. "Adrien. I have something to tell you, while we still have some time to ourselves."

Adrien perked his head up, listening attentively. "Okay."

She sighed. "Luka didn't want to tell you this. He wanted one day of things being normal between us. But, I have to tell you: Luka's going on tour. We can't stay in Paris any longer, especially for the next few months. And even after that, we're unsure if we'll ever come back and live here." She hung her head, ashamed that she had kept that from him.

Adrien wasn't hurt at first. He was mostly just stunned. After everything that had just happened, they were going to leave him? He knew that thought was irrational-- of course, they had planned it long before today, but he still felt a bit betrayed. "Really?" He asked, as if bargaining with her.

She closed her eyes to hide her oncoming tears. "I'm sorry, Adrien. Today was supposed to be a goodbye, and then..." She wasn't trying to blame him, but neither of them had suspected him to do anything like that. It was a nice surprise, but it was a bit late. "You could come with us?" She asked, all of a sudden realizing how perfect that would be. It could be a chance for him to get away from his dad, and he wouldn't have to spend any time away from them. "It's just a suggestion, though."

"I'm not sure." He frowned, and as Luka stopped talking, they knew he was preparing for the next song. Unless they were to leave his side, they wouldn't be able to hear each other over the music soon. "I'll think about it." The music started once again, and Adrien let the hum of Luka's guitar fill his ears as he imagined the next few months travelling with them. He couldn't get the thought of how much he regretted last time he turned them down, and he thought he had his answer. Then, he felt his phone buzz with a text.

His father.

 _Adrien, where are you?_ Gabriel was the one person Adrien could always tell if he was angry or not, even over text. It wasn't a surprise that he was-- he hadn't exactly explained where he was going that night, and they had to prepare for a show tomorrow. He hesitated answering, but he knew that would only make him more angry.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," Adrien said over the music, and although Marinette couldn't hear, she understood. He dialed his father's number, and ran outside so he hopefully wouldn't hear the music. He tried not to make any sound himself, not even exhaling in anticipation of his father chewing him out.

"Adrien." Gabriel was stern and concise. "You have a show in the morning. If you don't come home now so we can get ready, you are going to humiliate both of us."

Adrien couldn't care less about humiliation. A sudden wave of confidence washed over him. "You know what, dad? What if I don't want to work under you anymore? I could make a living by myself."

Gabriel audibly laughed at his son. "I could ruin your reputation if you quit, Adrien. You do not want to do that."

Adrien couldn't care less about reputation, either. "I just got asked to tour the world with friends. I don't need you, I don't need this job, and I don't need a good reputation. I don't need to see you ever again, and I hope I don't."

Gabriel paused, regaining composure. "You sound like a petulant child."

Adrien ignored him. "You've never cared about my wellbeing. All you've cared about is the money you make off me. Well, I'm done." Adrien was already storming back towards the stage. "I bet you never even wanted me. You just took care of me to make Mom happy."

Gabriel was quiet for a moment. "Adrien, you know I have connections. You really think your friends will be able to go on that tour if you run away with them?” 

His tears felt like they were burning him as they ran down his face. He stopped in his tracks, frozen in place. If he went back inside, he knew they would talk him into running away nonetheless, but he couldn’t do that to them. They needed this tour. Any other decision was just selfish, he told himself. “I’m heading home.” 

"Good." Gabriel responded, sounding content. "I know you'll never disobey me like that again, right, Adrien?"

Adrien felt like throwing up, but he headed to his car without a goodbye to the people he loved much more than his dad. "Right."

Marinette and Luka left a few hours later, not having witnessed Adrien leave, but knowing exactly why he had. A part of Luka wanted to chase after him, find him at his house, throw rocks at his window, and sing him a love ballad. Marinette held out hope that things would turn out like a movie, and Adrien would come running after them at the last minute in the airport and buy a ticket for their flight. They both knew these were impossible dreams.

* * *

Four years later, Adrien's modelling career had only grown. The same could be said for Luka and his band, but this also meant the two of them grew apart. Both stayed in touch with Marinette, but Adrien only did so through infrequent phone calls and texts.

So, he looked forward to their 5 year reunion. He hadn't seen his friends in years. He talked to them, sure, and Nino would play games with him every week, but it wasn't the same. 

Chloe organized the reunion. 5 years ago, that probably would've turned out to be a disaster, and maybe ended in the cancellation of the entire gathering. Now, though, it was rather elegant-- Chloe had talent when it came to party planning.

When Adrien got the call, he stayed on the phone with her for half an hour. He missed the sound of her voice. Really, all they did was catch up, and Adrien stalled until Chloe said she had to grab lunch. The only pertinent information he got out of it was the time, location, and date of the event. That, and Luka would be playing there. The mention of Luka made Adrien's heart pound a bit faster; he hadn't seen him in years, and they hadn’t really left on the best of terms.

His dad gave him the best outfits to wear, making sure that he would represent the company well. Seeing his father's clothes on him all the time was also supposed to remind him to be on his best behavior. He rolled his eyes and headed in, watching all the classmates he recognized walk in after him. 

The gym had been transformed into a wide open space for them to talk, though there was still food catered by Chloe on the side. Speaking of Chloe, Adrien found her first, wanting to catch up with someone, and feeling most comfortable talking to her. 

"Adrien!" She exclaimed when she saw him, and brought him in for a hug. "How have you been? You're still living in the area, right?" She asked, her chipper attitude dissimilar from how he remembered her from high school. 

"Yes, I am. And I've been good." He smiled, though his voice might've given away his lack of enthusiasm.

She didn't catch on, luckily. "You look good. Listen, I'm going to be busy tonight, and you should catch up with everyone. I'll talk to you later?" She asked, and although she phrased it politely, the sentiment was somewhat reminiscent of her younger persona. He pretended he didn't notice, though, and agreed he should socialize with someone else.

He needed to find Nino. He was having trouble, though, since the room had begun filling up even more with people, and it was hard to navigate through the sea of bodies. He made his way into the middle of the room without finding anyone to talk to, and considered giving up and going home. He had made an appearance, at least. That might be enough.

Then, he bumped into someone he definitely recognized, even though her hair was shorter than he remembered, and she had aged gracefully into her twenties.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said as she turned around to look him in the eye. It only took her a second to realize she hadn't just bumped into a stranger. "Adrien?" He had a hard time reading exactly what her tone of voice meant.

"Marinette." His voice didn't have any trouble giving away his feelings. He absolutely missed her, and didn't care about hiding that fact. They hugged, lingering in the feeling for a few beats too long, until they heard a single chord play on the makeshift stage across the room.

"Oh, Luka's starting," Marinette pointed out, even though it was obvious. She had a hard time quelling her nervousness, despite this being just a high school reunion. Luka had played at venues 100 times this large. There was just something a bit more nerve-wracking about playing in front of people you knew in high school, even for Marinette, who wasn't even the one playing.

Adrien's eyes shot up to the stage, where he saw Luka wielding his guitar as if it was a part of him. He couldn’t help but stare; Luka’s hair had grown to his shoulders (it was now longer than Marinette’s), and it was no longer dyed, now his natural jet black color. They had both changed a lot in four years. He hadn't gone to any of his gigs, or listened to any of his albums, even though he used to love his music. Even back then, it made him tear up to hear the way Luka poured his heart into his music. Now, Adrien wasn't sure how it would affect him, but he knew that watching Luka in his element like that was already making him short of breath. Luka was amazing, and Adrien couldn't imagine a single person in that room who didn't think the same thing.

As the band tuned, Adrien found himself actually getting _nervous_ to hear Luka play; his palms started to sweat, and his legs started to shake. He looked at Marinette, looking for guidance, but simply saw how utterly in love she looked. Her admiration, her anticipation, and nervousness all culminated in a look of pure love as she watched him fiddle with his guitar strings. He was jealous, yes, but he also couldn't get mad at her for it; he felt entirely the same way.

So, Adrien wormed his way through the crowd to get into a hallway before the band could start.

The hallways of the school at night had a certain atmosphere that Adrien enjoyed-- this was only amplified by the sound of the band starting to play muffled by the walls. Adrien preferred that to the inevitably loud sound that he would've heard if he had stayed. He could tell the song was good from where he sat, still, but there was at least now a degree of separation. Plus, he wasn't close enough to Marinette to feel her every movement, which made everything a little less confusing. He closed his eyes and let the muffled music wash over him.

Then, he heard the gym doors open and close, and then footsteps approach. Opening one eye allowed him to see that it was Marinette. "Hey, what'd you leave for? You're missing the best part."

Adrien smiled and opened his eyes to greet her, even though she was the very person he was avoiding. "I like it out here better. There's too many people in there."

She nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

"So, you're not going to watch your boyfriend perform?" Adrien asked, sounded genuinely a bit concerned.

"I've heard it all many times. This isn't exactly his most important concert or anything." She chuckled, and absentmindedly offered her hand for him to hold. It was cold in the hallway, and she was used to seeing him as a friend. It never used to be this weird holding friends' hands. But then he took it, and she shivered. "So I can be here for you. I'm sure Luka would be more than okay with that. He'd do the same."

She had always been good at cheering him up. He smiled. "Thank you, then."

"I know this must be tough, seeing everyone again. It's pretty overwhelming for me, too." She stared at the lockers across from them, thinking about all the kids currently in school who put their books there every day. She wondered how different things were for them. "I haven't seen anyone but Alya and Nino in years." She paused, looking at their clasped hands in her lap before continuing. "I haven't seen you in years."

Even if Marinette hadn’t told him she was in love with him before, he would now just from the way she looked at him in that moment. He knew now, but at the beginning of high school, he was blind to it. He wished he had known-- things would be easier now. If he had known before she even met Luka, maybe... He stopped that thought from occurring. No. He couldn't dwell on the past like that. There was no way to change it now, and Luka didn't deserve that, anyway. "Yeah. I've missed you." He looked her in the eye, which made him suddenly realize how close they were. "I've missed all of you," he added.

Marinette let them sit in silence and listen to the echoing of Luka's music through the halls. "You sure you don't want to listen? Luka's improved a lot in four years."

Adrien had a hard time believing that. Four years ago, Luka's music was already good enough that Adrien counted him among the top musicians he had ever heard, but maybe he was just biased. "I like how it sounds from here."

She nodded. "Yeah, it does sound kind of nice. Maybe I should try listening this way more often." She was joking, but he did have a point. There was something about it that reminded her of the way she would listen to Luka's lone guitar during a talent show his senior year. That same night, he asked her to prom. "But you're okay, right? No one said anything rude tonight or something, did they?" She couldn't imagine who, unless Chloe had invited Lila for some reason.

"No. It's been nice to see everyone, of course, but it just reminds me that it won't ever be like that again."

"Be like what?" Marinette wasn't exactly the most nostalgic about high school. But seeing her friends everyday was pretty great. Now, she had Luka to see every day, so it wasn't lonely. "Oh," she said before he could answer, realizing what he had meant. "I'm sorry."

He breathed out a cynical laugh. "It's okay. This is what I've chosen, and it's really okay." He chose it, but it wasn’t like his other choice was viable. That didn't mean he didn't regret making that choice, though. 

Marinette felt like crying. She had been living her life for years now trying not to think about how Adrien might feel. She assumed he'd be fine without her. Adrien was always fine without her in school. "Adrien, I didn't mean to abandon you. I hope you didn't feel like I did, just for moving away."

He shook his head. "Of course not, Marinette. You've never hurt me."

She knew that was a lie, but he probably believed it. "You could always quit your job, and move across the country to be closer to us." Her voice sounded hopeful, but she knew he wouldn't take it seriously.

He laughed. "That would be the dream."

She stood her ground. "No, really. I mean it. Quit your job and leave your dad behind. We can help you until you get another job, it shouldn't be that hard since you're pretty renowned, but even if it is, Luka has more than enough money to support all of us--"

"This is sounding more and more like you want me to move in with you."

She ripped her hand away from his to make the point that she was, in fact, _NOT_ insinuating that. Actually, it didn't sound half bad, but she just meant that he could live _near_ them, and they could help pay for his living expenses, and help him find a job, and-- Okay, maybe she was trying to get him to move in with them. "I'm just saying, you don't have to settle. Even if you have to sleep on our couch, it might be better than working for your dad the rest of your life. If you really are that miserable."

"So you'd let me sleep on your couch?" Adrien asked, his puppy-dog eyes in full effect. She wasn't sure if he was kidding, or pleading, but she would've said 'yes' either way. 

The air felt silent, even though they could still hear Luka’s music. “Actually, there’s a reason I left that night. I didn't want to tell you, but I think it’s been long enough,’ Adrien started, not looking her in the eyes. 

She sat, brows furrowed, listening attentively. 

“My dad threatened to sabotage Luka’s career if I went with you on tour.” 

Marinette felt as if her heart stopped. “Adrien, we had no idea.” She thought it over for a moment. That didn't seem that out of the ordinary for Gabriel, all things considered. “But you don’t have to be afraid of that anymore, Luka is famous enough now, not even your dad could hurt him.” She wasn’t at all sure of that, but she wanted to take that chance. 

“You have a point.” Adrien didn't know what else to say, and he ran through all the possible outcomes he could think of. Not one of them seemed worth making the same mistake for the third time.

Then, they heard the band stop, and Luka talked indistinctly through the microphone.

"Maybe I should get back in there?" She stood up. Even though she was fairly sure Luka would be fine with her bailing, she still wanted to encourage him after the fact. "Come with me?" She reached her hand out to help him up.

He looked up at her, confused, and his finger twitched, his body deciding to grab her hand before his mind could. "I think I'll stay out here for a few more minutes."

She nodded and left him, but both of them wished there was a third option.

Marinette made her way through the crowd to the stairs that led up to the stage, ready to greet Luka as he finished. He told her he wasn’t quite done with their set, though, and asked where Adrien was. She was hesitant to tell him at first, but she led him into the hall where she had met Adrien before. If he was stepping off stage and making the audience wait like this, it must be for a good reason. 

Unfortunately, Adrien was gone when they made it into the hall. 

"Luka, have you talked to Adrien at all tonight?" He nodded 'no', and she had guessed as much. 

"I was going to ask him to play with me,” he said, holding each of her arms, making her plant her feet firmly on the ground, and looking into her eyes. She really needed to stop pacing, or she would wear a line in the ground.

She nodded, her frown turning to a sideways grin. "That's a good idea. Just keep in mind, I may have suggested he live with us for a while." She escaped his grip and walked back towards the door.

He just laughed. Of course she would do something like that-- they were both dangerously altruistic. Actually, all three of them were. He followed her close behind as they walked to the other side of the hallway. They made their way outside, only to see none other than Adrien, sitting by himself once again. It seemed as if he had wanted to leave, but gave up halfway through. His eyes were a bit red, as if he had been crying and trying to hide that fact.

It was a cold, windy night, and it had only gotten colder as the sun got lower in the sky. Adrien could hear the soft, muffled sounds of Luka's music filling the gym a few rooms away, and he could faint footsteps in the hall. He wasn't sure if it was the music or the cold that made every inch of his skin fill with goosebumps. His body twitched, telling him to go inside, but even being this close to Luka's singing made Adrien miss him. He wished the wind was instead Luka's breath on his skin. 

"Adrien," Luka said, as softly as he could. "Are you okay?"

Adrien's head shot up, startled, and he looked at Luka, then Marinette, and back. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Well, we're already worrying, so it's too late for that." It was Luka that held out his hand for Adrien this time. "Let me help you up, and then we can talk."

Adrien gave in and took Luka's hand. It didn't last long, but the contact sent shocks of electricity through his fingertips and he noticed how Luka's hands were rough and calloused from his guitar. "Thank you." He looked to Marinette. "Both of you. But you really don't have to do this. I think I'll just go home." He was now standing up.

Luka was more than a little hurt, but he understood. "It's okay if you want to leave. I just want you to be happy, Adrien. And I think you could be happier at a new home. Even if that means you have to live with us for a while." Luka hadn't felt this love in a while. It was like his heart felt complete for the first time in years. "We were the first to hurt you, so you have every right to decline."

Adrien turned away from both of them, and his tears made his laugh sound sadder than intended. "How am I going to explain this to my dad?" He still wasn't used to the fact that if he moved out, he wouldn't have to explain anything. He hung his head, but he was still smiling, and he reached behind him for either of them to take his hand. "Alright." He turned around as he said it, and quickly pulled his hand away. "This isn't a promise. It's temporary. Okay? I'll stay on the couch." He laughed a bit.

They nodded, and both reached to grab Adrien's hand, pulling him into a group hug. "Like Luka said, we just want you to be happy." Marinette said into his ear. 

“I think I have a good idea for how to help with that,” Luka added. “Do you want to play a song with me?”

He looked a bit surprised. “I thought you were through playing for the night.” 

Luka shrugged. “They’re actually still waiting. We can make them wait a bit longer, if you need, or--” 

Adrien nodded into their shoulders, and they felt it, along with his tears. "There's no way you've blamed yourselves all this time. It was definitely my fault back then." _It's always my fault, isn't it,_ he thought, thinking back to the worst days of his life. 

Luka looked at him, taken aback. "Agree to disagree, then?" He pressed a kiss to Adrien's left cheek, and smiled as he watched Marinette do the same to his right.

Adrien knew, as their hands warmed up his from the cold, that they could be his home. They could even be a better one than he had ever had. He couldn't wait. “Let’s go back inside. I think I’m ready now.”


End file.
